Improvement in box-openers



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SELF AND GEORGE K.

FOX, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOX-OPENERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,303, dated October3, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, M. D. LAWRENCE, of Springfield, Hampden county,Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Tool forOpening Boxes, Cases, 850.; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the tool complete. Fig. 2 isan edge view of one part, and Fig. 3 a similar view of the other part.Fig. 4 is a top view of the tool complete.

In the transportation of dry-goods and light merchandise generally alarge quantity of wooden boxes, cases, 850., are used, and as they arenecessarily securely nailed up, the opening of them with the ordinaryhammer and chisel isnot only a tedious operation, but usually the lidsare so split and battered as to render them unfit for further use, andthe box must either be thrown away or a new lid furnished. In largewholesale houses this becomes an important item, as the boxesarenecessarily somewhat expensive, and large quantities are used, andthe want of some tool by means of which boxes could be readily openedwithout injury to them has long been felt.

To accomplish this object I have invented the tool which I will nowdescribe. It consists of a pair of pinehers, A B, to the part A of whichI attach the projections a and b, and to the part B of which I attachthe projection 0, having the notch a cut in it, and in addition to theseparts I form the end d of the part A into a screw-driver, and form theend of the projection 1) into a claw, and between the two parts, at 0,1have an adjustable wrench. I also place the piece 9 between the two jawsof the pinchers, for the purpose hereinafter described.

I will now show its operation, which is as follows: Instead ofattempting to wrench off the lid, I first draw the nails in thefollowing manner: The projection O is first placed over the head of thenail and the wood set down around it, the head passing into the notch O.The nail is then grasped between the teeth 75 l of the pinchers, and ispulled by pressing the handles A B to one side, the projection 11 actingas a fulcrum for the lever thus formed, and this projection bis formedin such a manner as that the nail is drawn straight, or nearly so, thussaving them in a condition for future use. It will be seen that in thisway I preserve the lid in good order, while the box is opened muchquicker and easier than by any other way.

The use of the party is to form adirectcommunication between the head aand the set I), so that a blow struck on the former is communicateddirectly to the latter, and without striking together the teeth 70 l,-and by combining with this arrangement the screw-driver d, claw I), andwrench c, the projection a forming a hammer, I have a tool in itself allthat is commonly used in a store, besides its use for opening boxes.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the part A, having the projections a, b, and l andstop-pin 9 attached, with the part B, having the nail-set G andprojection k attached,these parts being combined and operated in themanner and for the purpose herein set forth.

M. D. LAIYRENGE.

Witnesses:

J. B. GARDINER, L. L. DAVIS.

